


The Vacation

by Macdragon



Category: Cain Saga and Godchild
Genre: Bromance, Gen, Jealousy, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 17:40:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/298363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macdragon/pseuds/Macdragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cain and Oscar vacation in Bath, and Oscar deals with his complicated feelings towards Cain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Vacation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [qwerty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/qwerty/gifts).



A free vacation to a luxurious spa town, nothing to do but visit the baths in the day and the pubs at night. It sounded like the perfect escape, but Oscar was skeptical. He was not usually a suspicious person, but this involved Cain. He still hadn't forgotten that night when he saw Cain and his manservant walking through the streets of London and found them digging up a grave. Much of Cain's dealings were a mystery to him, but that made it even easier to imagine all the sinister things he was involved in. So Oscar wasn't sure whether or not he should go along with Cain's idea to visit Bath together for a few days.

In the end, though, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. It was disappointing to hear that Mary wouldn't be accompanying them on this excursion, but getting closer to Cain would bring him closer to his sister in the end. That was the plan, right? His decision to go had nothing to do with curiosity, with wondering if he could find out more of Cain's secrets. Nothing at all.

They left early in the morning, taking a carriage to Paddington. Cain had, of course, booked a first class car for them. The train was quiet, and Oscar was looking forward to the chance to talk with Cain. Instead, the Earl pulled out a book as soon as he sat down and proceeded to completely ignore him. That left the manservant, Riff, who was eying him inscrutably from across the table. Oscar grumbled and turned his attention to the window, watching as the cityscape turned to rolling green countryside. The two hour journey was so dull that he ended up falling asleep.

Bath Spa station was small and quaint compared to bustling Paddington. People came to Bath to relax and forget their troubles away from the stress of London. It probably wouldn't have been Oscar's first choice of vacation spot, if he was in charge--but then again, there would probably be some pretty country ladies about.

 _Stop that, you have to stay focused on Mary!_ he scolded himself, even as his eyes lingered on a young brunette woman in a bright pink dress. "Come on, Oscar," Cain said, interrupting his thoughts. Oscar realized that he had been blocking the turnstile while he oggled the girl, and he moved jumped forward with a grin.

"So what are we going to do first? Go for a dip in the baths? Tea at the pump room? Maybe we can find that lady scribbler, Jane Austen, I bet she'd be fun to talk to."

Cain rolled his eyes. "I don't care. Whatever you want."

"What?" Oscar's mouth dropped open. He had no idea why Cain was being so amenable. Usually he was pretty opinionated. "Um, okay. I'm starving, let's go get some dinner."

Cain nodded and strode out the door, Riff following with their suitcases. Oscar stepped out into the heart of Bath. It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm Autumn day, and the sun lit up the elegant limestone buildings rising up around them. The architecture was old, from at least 200 years ago--at least that was Oscar's uneducated guest. The spires of the imposing Abbey were visible in the distance. Carriages rushed down the road while men and women dressed in the latest fashions strolled across the cobblestoned walkway outside the station.

"Riff, take our bags to the hotel," Cain said, giving the manservant a significant look. "And don't forget the other thing."

"Yes, my Lord." Riff bowed slightly and strode off with their bags. Apparently he knew exactly where the hotel was.

"What was the other thing?" Oscar asked, once the butler had disappeared into the crowd.

"Never mind." Cain pointed at a group of young ladies giggling amongst themselves a few feet away. "It looks like country girls are as pretty as everyone says."

Oscar chuckled and eyed the girls appreciatively, effectively distracted from his curiosity. "Maybe we should ask them to come to dinner with us."

"We don't even know them." Shrugging, Cain started down the street, pulling Oscar with him. "There will be plenty more at the Pump Room."

The famed Roman Baths and Pump Room was only a few streets away from the station. The Baths were walled off  by ancient stone, and the Pump Room was a more recent addition, the architecture built to resemble the original Roman construction. The Abbey was only a few meters away, casting shadows over the cobblestones. A young waiter met them at the door of the Pump Room and led them into an elegantly decorated room. Tall windows, framed by heavy red and gold drapes, looked out into the Abbey Square, and the walls were lined with expensive paintings and sculptures. Most of the tables were occupied by groups of young tourists.

"What do you want to order?" Oscar asked, picking up a menu.

"You can choose." Cain gave a precursory glance over the menu. "Just make sure you order earl gray tea."

"You don't seem very enthusiastic about this vacation," Oscar said, but he was quickly distracted by the contents of the menu and the prospect of being able to order whatever he wanted from the delicacies offered. When the waiter came around, he ordered lobster thermador, an assortment of cakes, and the earl gray.

Just as the waiter moved off, a pair of young ladies scurried over to their table. They were nearly identical, their blonde hair done up in the same elaborate style and tied with ribbons, their frilly dresses the same except that one was orange and the other was blue. Oscar beamed at them, respectfully rising from his seat as he approached. But they ignored him, their matched green gazes settling on Cain, who didn't even bother to stand.

"Excuse me--" the blue clad lady began.

"Are you the Earl Cain?" her sister jumped in, her face flushing a bright red.

Cain smiled a little, and Oscar could tell that the mere expression was enough to get the ladies even more flustered. He finally deigned to rise from his chair, offering the twins a small bow. "Yes, I am. My companion is Baron Oscar Gabriel. How may we help you?"

"I am Cynthia Lycombe, and this is my sister, Amanda Leicombe," the one in the blue dress introduced herself as well as her twin, who was apparently too excited to say anything else. "We've heard so much about you, Cain, and we were wondering if you could grace us with your presence at a ball we are hosting two nights hence." She reached into her silk purse and pulled out a card tied with a ribbon.

"We have a very busy schedule planned," Cain said, lying blatantly as he accepted the invitation. "But I think we'll find the time to attend, won't we, Oscar?"

"Of course!" Oscar exclaimed. Finally, something exciting to do!

"Lovely," Cynthia said, smiling briefly at Oscar. "We'll see you there." The twins curtsied and floated out of the room. Oscar belatedly realized that he was still standing as he stared after them, and he slid back into his chair. Their meal soon arrived, and they made polite conversation that Oscar suspected Cain was uninterested in. Maybe the ball would give him an opportunity to meet more lively acquaintances, because right now he wasn't even sure why Cain had invited him.

***

    The next day they went to the Roman Baths. The natural hot springs were still a stylish destination despite the fact that the Baths had been built in Roman times. Oscar had been looking forward to mingling with the rich and famous of Bath in the water, but Cain had somehow managed to get an hour of private time in the King's Bath.

    "What is the point of soaking all by ourselves?" Oscar complained as they walked into the steam filled room, carrying towels and robes. Riff tagged along behind them, although the butler evidently had no intention of joining them in the water. The valet's presence only added to the already awkward situation. Cain was simply easier to deal with in a crowd, and fully clothed.

    "I like my privacy," Cain answered primly. He stood at the edge of the water, looking down at it, but he didn't make any move to disrobe. "You go first," he said, nodding at Oscar.

    "What, are you scared of water?" Oscar teased. He set his towel by the edge of the pool and quickly undressed, handing his clothes off to Riff. He wasn't particularly modest, but baring everything in front of Cain was a little intimidating. Oscar didn't know why, he just had a feeling that the Earl might judge him. But when he glanced over, Cain was still staring at the water. With a shrug, Oscar stepped into the hot spring.

    He let out a little yelp of surprise. The water was more on the scalding side, rather than being comforting.

    "You'll get used to it," Cain said dryly. Oscar saw the Earl's elegant clothes drop to the ground one by one out of the corner of his eye, and then Cain threw himself into the water.

    "Hey!" Oscar spluttered, shutting his eyes against the spraying hot water. When he opened them again, Cain was beside him, up to his neck in the water, a smirk on his face.

    "Just try to relax," he said, tipping his head back. Oscar found his eyes drawn to the Earl's exposed neck, and he realized that he had never seen Cain place himself in a vulnerable situation before. "Don't stare at me," Cain said.

    Blushing, Oscar turned away, looking instead at the stone statues watching over the pool. They didn't speak, and the water did become relaxing after a while. Even though they were just sitting in companionable silence, for the first time on the trip Oscar didn't feel like his company was unwanted.

    He might have dozed off, and he wasn't sure how much time had passed when Cain lifted himself out of the pool with a faint splash. Oscar looked up and glimpsed the latticework of scars across the Earl's back before he stepped into the robe that Riff held out. He closed his eyes again quickly, shutting them tight.

    "Wake up, Oscar." Cain poked his shoulder roughly. "We have society to scandalize."

***

    They wandered around the city for the rest of the day. Cain tended to attract a lot of attention, either because of his dark good looks or his notoriety, probably a little bit of both. Despite Oscar's title, the general consensus was that Cain was much more interesting. He quickly felt the envy returning, taking over the peace he had felt in the Baths. The anger reached a boiling point when Cain blithely announced that he wasn't going to attend the ball the next night.

    They had just left a pub, and the alcohol burning through his blood made it difficult for Oscar to control his temper. He stopped in the middle of the street, fists clenched. It took a moment for Cain to realize that he wasn't following.

    "What?" Cain turned around and crossed his arms, frowning at him. "I have business to attend to."

    "Business!" Oscar's voice came out louder than he had intended, and passers by turned to stare. He glared at them and they hurried on. "That's not the point of this trip! Don't you even know how to have fun? I don't want to go to a ball all by myself. This isn't London, I don't know anyone!"

    Cain appeared legitimately puzzled. "I didn't think you would miss my company."

    Oscar wasn't sure what to say to this. He just wanted to wipe that expression right off of Cain's face. That cute little pout wasn't going to work on him the way it did with the girls. He took a heavy step forward, his fist half raised, but at the same instant a hand fastened painfully tight around his arm.

    "Let go of me," Oscar snarled, trying to shake off the butler's firm grip. Riff had probably been waiting for this moment. He had always known that Cain's beloved butler disliked him.

    "Yes, let him go, Riff," Cain said quietly. Riff released him and Oscar rubbed at the spot where he had been grabbed. He could already tell it was going to bruise.

    "I'm going to stay out for a while," Oscar said, turning on his heel. "Don't wait up for me at the hotel."

    He hesitated a split second, half expecting Cain to stop him, but there was no answer. Oscar stalked away into the night, back towards the pub.

    When he got back to the hotel in the small hours of the morning, Cain was nowhere to be found. Oscar was too tired and drunk to be worried. But when he woke up sometime that afternoon, a twine of worry joined the hangover nausea in the pit of his stomach. It was just like Cain to make him anxious. He couldn't stay angry this way! Maybe Cain had already come and gone, and he had just slept through it.

    Oscar spent a leisurely afternoon strolling around Bath, a hat pulled low over his eyes to protect them from the too bright sun. He had a splitting headache and it took several cups of tea to get rid of it. By that time, he had to get ready for the ball. Cain was still gone, but he had that _business_ anyway.

***

    As it turned out, the ball was enjoyable. Cynthia and Amanda were both equally charming, and with Cain gone, they seemed more than happy to give Oscar the attention he craved. He danced and drank too much again and tried not to think about what the Earl was doing.

    He didn't really remember coming back to the hotel, but the next thing he knew, someone was shaking him awake. Oscar groaned and cracked open one eye. The room was dark, but he could just make out Cain's form in the gloom, and he could hear the grin as he spoke. "Come on, wake up! We have to get back to London right now!"

    "Hngh?" Oscar half sat up. He felt like he had eaten a dirty sock, and the room spun around him. "It's been two days...that wasn't a vacation."

    "I'm telling you, we have to go," Cain said, pulling the blankets off of him. Oscar gave a groan of protest, but Cain was insistent.

    "Okay, I'm up." Oscar shakily got to his feet, and Cain threw clothes at him. The Earl paced the room while he dressed. Oscar was just groggy enough not to ask for more privacy, but the idea of Cain pawing through his suitcase to find his underthings for him struck him as hilarious. He let out a few hysterical chuckles.

    "We'll get some tea on the train," Cain said, picking up on his exhaustion. "Let's go." Riff was there, picking up his suitcase, and then they were out on the street and Oscar had no idea what time it was but it was certainly dark enough that he couldn't have been asleep for more than a few hours. He leaned into Cain, barely able to stay on his feet.

    "Wait, I'm supposed to be mad at you." Sighing, he caught his balance again. Somehow he made it to the station without collapsing. There was a train on the platform about to leave and they boarded it, sitting down in one of the third class cars. Thankfully, the late or early hour meant that there was hardly anyone else on the train.

    Cain had a teapot brought to them in short order, and Oscar started to wake up a little. "Why are we leaving?" he asked finally.

    Cain reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with white powder. Looking uncharacteristically gleeful, he held it out to Oscar. "The Queen of Poisons...Aconitine. Legend says that it comes from the jaws of Cerberus. 5 milligrams is enough to kill. Understandably, it's hard to find, but there was a seller in Bath. These things tend to draw attention on the black market, so I needed a cover. Everyone thinks that I was just on vacation with my friend Oscar...and of course I wouldn't bring him on a dangerous mission."

    "I'm glad I could help," Oscar said, cringing back from the vial. Cain chuckled and slipped it back into his pocket.

    "Sincerely though, thank you. I'm sorry your vacation was ruined. We'll take another one soon, a real one." Cain seemed to have forgotten their fight, and he looked genuinely happy. In some odd way, Oscar was responsible for that--if he hadn't given Cain an alibi, he might not have gotten his deadly poison. Privately, he actually was pleased that he had been able to help. It was enough to see Cain happy, and to get this shred of positive attention from him.

    "I don't think I want to travel with you again," Oscar said, although they both knew it was a lie. "Maybe you should give me an afternoon alone with Mary Weather as a payment."

    "You pervert!" Cain laughed. They were back to their old jokes again, and only Riff seemed to still be in a bad mood. The valet was frowning at them, looking like he knew something they didn't. Riff's eyes met Oscar's for a moment before he looked away again. Maybe he had imagined the glance. Oscar reached for the teapot. He needed to get his energy back, because with Cain as a friend there would never be much time to relax.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story! Oscar is a character I was less familiar with, so I was nervous at first, but I had fun writing from his point of view.


End file.
